Yesterday, we uncovered evidence that Apple has been pursuing trademarks for the name “iPad”, with some filings occurring as recently as late last week. The move has obviously led to speculation that Apple may be planning to use that name for its tablet device rumored for introduction next week.
At the time, we noted that Apple had not pursued an “iPad” trademark in the United States, ostensibly due to existing claims on the name by Fujitsu for an electronic retail inventory device. While Fujitsu initially filed its trademark application for “iPad” in March 2003, the trademark has yet to be officially accepted, and was in fact classified by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) as “abandoned” in April 2009 after Fujitsu failed to respond to a request for additional information. Read more…
